China’s first domestically manufactured large passenger jet marks milestone anniversary

China Eastern Airlines celebrates two years of flying COMAC’s C919 as the aircraft’s manufacturer sets its sights on European certification and international expansion

China’s push into global aviation is gaining altitude as China Eastern Airlines celebrates two years of commercial flight for the country’s first domestically built large passenger aircraft.

China Eastern Airlines (CEA), one of China’s three major state-owned airlines, took possession of the C919 in December 2022 with commercial service beginning in May the following year.

While the C919, manufactured by Chinese state-owned plane maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), is currently limited to flights in China and Hong Kong, it is seen as Beijing’s attempt to challenge the global dominance of Boeing and Airbus in the single-aisle jet market.

Costing between £78million and £85million per aircraft, the single-aisle C919 can accommodate up to 192 passengers for journeys up to nearly 3,500 miles.

It currently operates on 14 domestic routes linking major Chinese cities, with CEA reporting a passenger load factor of nearly 80 per cent.

Since the jet’s debut commercial flight from Shanghai to Beijing, the C919 has racked up more than 28,000 flight hours, over 11,400 commercial flights, and more than 1.5million passengers, according to CEA.

The airline also reports that it has trained 127 C919 pilots, over 640 cabin crew, nearly 500 maintenance personnel and 54 dispatchers.

Last year, COMAC delivered a total of 12 C919 aircraft to three state-owned Chinese airlines, also including Air China and China Southern Airline, and has stated that it expects annual production capacity to reach 150 in five years.

As the jet gains traction at home, COMAC has plans to begin C919 commercial flights to Southeast Asia by 2026.

It also has Europe firmly in its sights with the company seeking certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), a key hurdle for any aircraft aiming to fly with European carriers.

Irish budget carrier Ryanair has reportedly expressed interest in the C919 since signed a memorandum of understanding with COMAC in 2011.

Marking the jet’s milestone second anniversary of commercial flights, CEA says that the aircraft has demonstrated excellent safety performance and increasing daily utilisation.

Flight crews, meanwhile, have received more than 1,000 letters from passengers praising both the aircraft and service.

“Passengers have shown remarkable recognition and enthusiasm,” said Zhang Shaobo, a C919 captain.

“Many even make special round trips to experience flying on this domestically produced aircraft.”

Main Image: Courtesy, N509FZ (Creative Commons)